Apparatus for the manufacture of superphosphate and the like



Jan. 10, 1956 J. MORlTZ 2,730,432 APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUPERPHOSPHATE AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Int) ere/"bop Jan. 10, 1956 .1. MORITZ 2,730,432

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SUPERPHOSPHATE AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 3, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 .Znaezztor I dTMoPzLtz 7/ /J i I d phosphate basis, and other like products, have already been proposed, particularly by the applicant.

-In such apparatus the initial materials in a fluid state for the manufacture of superphosphate or like products arecontinuously fed to the rotating vat. The materials solidify. and then reach a rotating scraper or detacher which breaks up and detaches the solid product. The product is continuously discharged through a lateral spout.

In such apparatus it is necessary to provide extensive sealing means between stationary and moving parts to prevent egress of the material which is in a fluid state. Also there is considerable friction between the solidified product and moving parts of the apparatus.

It is an object of the invention to provide apparatus of this kind in which the extent of said sealing means is reduced to a minimum, while at the same time reducing the said friction between the solidified product and moving parts of the apparatus.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way ofexamplein the appended drawing, in. which:

. Figure 1 represents one form of construction of the apparatus in sectional elevation on the line aa in Figur'ei2; I

. Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section on the line b'.b in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in sectional elevation of a construc tional modification;

Figures 4 and 5 are views in sectional elevation and plan analogous to Figures 1 and 2, illustrating another modification;

i Figure 6 is apartial view in sectional elevation of yet another modification;

, Figures 7' and 8 illustrate in plan two forms of construction of. the external wall of the vat; and

Figure 9 is a view in sectional elevation, on a much larger scale, of the fluidtight joint.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate apparatus which has a vertical axis and which discharges laterally downwards.

The vat proper is formed of two parts which are quite distinct from one another. and is constituted by a stationary vertical wall 1. The

I inner part is'movable, and is constituted by a revolving vertical cylinder forming a central mandrel 2, and comprising at its lower portion a horizontal plate 3 rigidly united with this central mandrel. The unit consisting of these two elements 2 and 3 can revolve easily upon a central' footstep bearing 4, and rests upon bearing rollers 5 and 6, arranged upon supports fixed to the ground. The assemblage of these three parts 1, 2 and 3 thus constitutes a flat-bottomed annular vat, the fluidtightness between the stationary part and the movable part being effected by a readily accessible sliding joint 7. This sliding joint may consist for instance of a series of flexible metallic blades partially overlapping one another, each blade being fixed to the lower part of the wall 1 and bearing upon the bottom 3.

It should be observed that this joint extends around only a portion of the external wall 1 of the vat, from the point of entrance of the material to the fluid point of solidification. There is a joint of the same nature along the base of a stationary partition 15, which will be hereinafterdescribed, and closing the vertical space between The outer part is stationary,

United States Patent 0 ice 2. the vertical end of the said partition and the vertical wall of the mandrel. 2.

A ceiling or platform 8 is arranged at the top of the vat, of which it constitutes the cover. It is integral with the outside wall 1 of the said vat, and the assemblage is sustained bymeans of a variable number of supports revolving mandrel 2 and to the upper surface of the revolving plate 3.

In this form of construction the axis of the detaching device is at equal distances from the outside wall 1 and from the central mandrel 2.

The entire movable unit, consisting of the parts 2 and 3, can be rotated by any convenient mechanical device 11.

The cover 8 likewise carries, suspended vertically there-,

from, the aforementioned solidly fixed partition 15, which is equipped along its lower edge, and along the vertical edge adjacent to the central mandrel, with the fluidtight joints that have been previously mentioned. The ring of superphosphate that forms during the solidification of the superphosphate cake therefore assumes an annu lar shape, and is supported by the bottom 3.

The feeding of the vat is effected at the point A, and the solidification of the cake occurs in the neighbourhood of the point B. In order to enable the superphosphate cake to become detached from the stationary wall 1, this wall 1, a little farther on than the point B, may be I offset in such a way that starting from this point it is spaced a little farther away from the central mandrel 2, as indicated in Figure 7. In this figure the dot-and-dash line indicates the position that the stationary wall 1 would occupy if it continued with the diameter that it had before the point B.

By way of modification, and for the same purpose, the wall 1, starting from this same point B, might be so constructed as to become progressively farther and farther away from the mandrel 2, as illustrated in Figure 8.

The vat furthermore comprises, formed in the stationary wall 1 in the neighbourhood of the detacher, doors 12 affording access to the latter, to facilitate the inspection thereof.

The discharge of the superphosphate takes place at the lower portion of the detacher, through a spout'Zil, from which it falls onto the belt conveyor 21.

In another form of construction, shown in Figure 3, the central mandrel 2, instead of being cylindrical, is frusto-conical, with the smaller diameter downwards. The wall 1, instead of being cylindrical, is on the other hand frusto-conical with the greater diameter downwards. Under these conditions the detacher 9 is given a symmetrical trapezoidal cross section, and this arrangement has the advantage of facilitating the separation of the superphosphate, which by its own Weight has a tendency to separate from the stationary wall 1.

Figure 4 shows another arrangement, in which the peripheral Wall of the stationary circular vat .i is vertical, and the central mandrel 2 is cylindrical, but the bottom 3, rigid with the central mandrel 2, is conical, its greater diameter being directed towards the stationary wall 1. Consequently the detacher 9 can be so placed that its axis is external to the greater diameter of the bottom 3, and can be supported by a bearing placed at the lower part of its axis, at 13. Furthermore, since the detacher iatented J an. 10, 1956 can be constructed with knives located according to the conicity of the bottom 3, it follows that the discharge of the superphosphate cut up by the knives is elfected upon an inclined plane, so that cut superphosphate 'is then transported with a minimum of friction to issue from the vat and to reach the evacuation hole 14.

The detacher may be either unenclosed or enclosed in a casing 16 (Figure 5) of cylindrical form, coupled to the stationary part 1 of the vat. A lateral access door 12 enables the knives of the detacher to be very easily at tended to.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the sealing joints are at the same locations as in the preceding example, and the driving device for the rotation of the central mandrel 2 and of the bottom 3 of the vat, which are rigidly united with one another, may be provided by means of toothed or worm gearing placed at 11.

Part of, another modification is illustrated in sectional elevation in Figure 6 and again comprises the same system of central mandrel 2 rigid with the conical vat bottom 3, but the external wall 1 of the vat, instead of being cylindrical like the central mandrel, may be frusto-conical as in Figure 3, with the greater diameter downwards, the fluidtight joints still being constructed as before. Owing to this fact the superphosphate becomes detached from the wall 1 as easily as in the arrangement of Figure 3, but furthermore the conical bottom 3 facilitates the discharge of the cut superphosphate, and the lateral arrangement of the detacher 9, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is quite applicable to the form of construction of Figure 6.

Similarly the arrangement of the peripheral wall 1, with displacement as shown in Figure 7, or with progressive divergence as in Figure 8, may be provided for continuous superphosphate apparatus constructed according to the arrangement of Figure 6.

It must be emphasised that all the arrangements previously described also have the great advantage of eliminating the usual joint at the top of the vat between the vertical wall 1 and the upper platform 8, and of thus permitting very perfect sealing of the upper part of the vat, while obviating inward leakages of air, and permitting very easy and very eflicient aeration of the superphosphate cake throughout the duration of the detaching.

Finally, the external Wall of the vat, whether vertical or inclined, may be constructed of reinforced cement, lined internally with a suitable coating. Alternatively this wall may be made of metal, and the inner surface, which comes into contact with the superphosphate cake, may be covered with a smooth coating having a basis of plastic material or indiarubber, or any other very hard, smooth with the said stationary wall, a rotatable mandrel locatedat the centre of the vat and integral with the revoluble bottom, means for imparting rotation to the bottom of the vat and to the mandrel, means for introducing into said vat fluid starting materials for the production of superphosphate and like products, a flexible covering forming a substantially fluidtight sliding joint between part of the lower edge of the stationary peripheral wall of the vat and the revoluble bottom of the vat, a rotatable detaching device positioned within said vat to break up and detach the product after it has solidified; and an aperture in said stationary wall for the discharge of the broken-up product.

2. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of superphosphate and like products as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a vertical stationary partition secured to said stationary peripheral wall and to said upper platform and positioned between said rotatable detaching device and the point at which fluid starting materials for the production of superphosphate and like products are introduced into said vat.

3. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of superphosphate and like products as set forth in claim 1, the stationary peripheral wall of the vat being at a constant distance from the vertical axis of the vat from about the position at which fluid starting materials for the production of superphosphate and like products are to be introduced into the vat to about the position where solidification of the product takes place, and being at a slightly greater distance from the said axis beyond the solidification position.

4. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of superphosphate and like products as set forth in claim 1, the stationary peripheral wall of the vat being at a constant distance from the vertical axis of the vat from about the position at which fluid starting materials for the production of superphosphate and like products are to be introduced into the vat to about the position where solidification of the product takes place, and being at a progressively increasing distance from the said axis beyond the solidification position.

5. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of superphosphate and like products as claimed in claim 1, the peripheral wall of the vat being made of metal, and being coated internally with a hard, smooth and nonporous material such as a plastic or indiarubber.

6. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of superphosphate and like products, comprising; a vat consisting of a stationary peripheral wall and a revoluble bottom, an upper platform closing the vat at the top and integral with the said stationary wall, a rotatable mandrel located at the centre of the vat and integral with the revoluble bottom, means for imparting rotation to the bottom of the vat and to the mandrel, means for introducing into said vat fluid starting materials for the production of superphosphate and like products, a flexible covering forming a substantially fluidtight sliding joint between part of the lower edge of the stationary peripheral wall of the vat and the revoluble bottom of the vat, a rotatable detaching device positioned within said vat to break up and detach the product after it has solidified, a vertical stationary partition secured to said stationary peripheral wall and to said upper platform and positioned between said rotatable detaching device and the point atwhich fluid starting materials for the production of superphosphates and like products are introduced into said vat, a flexible covering forming a substantially fluidtight sliding joint between, the'free edges of said stationary partition on the one hand and the said rotating bottom of the vat and the mandrel on the other hand to prevent fluid products flowing on to said rotating detaching device; and a spout at the bottom of said stationary wall adjacent said rotating detaching device, for the discharge of the broken-up product.

7. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of superphosphate and like products as set forth in claim 6, wherein said flexible covering forming said substantially fluidtight sliding joints consist of overlapping flexible metal blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,928,609 Van Ackersen Sept. 26, 1933 2,031,122 Mueller Feb. 18, 1936 2,587,367 Moritz Feb. 26, 1952 2,611,975 Taylor et al Sept. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 670,283 Germany Dec. 22, 1938 458,478 Great Britain Dec. 21, 1936 490,554 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1938 613,410 Great Britain Nov. 29, 1948 

1. APPARATUS FOR THE CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURE OF SUPERPHOSPHATE AND LIKE PRODUCTS, COMPRISING; A VAT CONSISTING OF A STATIONARY PERIPHERAL WALL AND A REVOLUBLE BOTTOM, AN UPPER PLATFORM CLOSING THE VAT AT THE TOP AND INTEGRAL WITH THE SAID STATIONARY WALL, A ROTATABLE MANDREL LOCATED AT THE CENTRE OF THE VAT AND INTEGRAL WITH THE REVOLUBLE BOTTOM, MEANS FOR IMPARTING ROTATION TO THE BOTTOM OF THE VAT AND TO THE MANDREL, MEANS FOR INTRODUCING INTO SAID VAT FLUID STARTING MATERIALS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUPERPHOSPHATE AND LIKE PRODUCTS, A FLEXIBLE COVERTING FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLUIDTIGHT SLIDING JOINT BETWEEN PART OF THE LOWER EDGE OF THE STATIONARY PERIPHERAL WALL OF THE VAT AND THE REVOLUBLE BOTTOM OF THE VAT, A ROTATABLE DETACHING DEVICE POSITIONED WITHIN SAID VAT TO BREAK UP AND DETACH THE PRODUCT AFTER IT HAS SOLIDIFIED; AND AN APERTURE IN SAID STATIONARY WALL FOR THE DISCHARGE OF THE BROKEN-UP PRODUCT. 